The invention relates to a portable electrical energy source.
Portable electrical energy sources are known for providing direct current for jump starting an automobile, boat or other vehicle as well as for providing direct current for energizing various appliances. For example, a jump start system providing a 12-volt, 400 ampere power supply is manufactured and distributed by Vector Manufacturing, Ltd., of Hollywood, Fla. under the trade name PRO-CHARGE-900. In this jump start system, a heavy-duty 12-volt battery is arranged inside an impact-resistant polyethylene case. Heavy duty No. 4 industrial booster cables attached to the battery extend through the case and are attached to heavy duty 400 amp booster clamps which, when not in use, can rest on shoulders molded on the case. Dc appliances may be plugged into a DC outlet socket mounted in the casing and coupled to the battery. The jump start battery can be charged by a car battery via a DC/DC power cord provided with a male plug adapted to be inserted into the cigarette lighter of an automobile. The jump start battery may also be charged via an appropriate AC adapter/charger.
Power inverters are known which convert direct current into alternating current. For example, Vector Manufacturing, Ltd. also manufactures and distributes a self-contained power inverter under the trade name POWER FORCE 140 which plugs directly into a cigarette lighter socket or other 12-volt power source for converting 12-volt direct current energy to 110-volt alternating current. The PRO-CHARGE-900 jump start system also includes a cigarette lighter socket so that a power inverter such as the POWER FORCE 140 may be plugged into the jump start system. In such a configuration, the jump start system can provide either 12-volt direct current or 110-volt alternating current. A disadvantage of this configuration is that by having two separate components, they are separately portable and both may not be readily at hand when it is desired to use them together to furnish DC power to the inverter to produce alternating electrical power.
Jump start systems are known wherein a power inverter is included within the impact resistant casing along with the 12-volt battery to provide a portable jump start system which provides both a 12-volt direct current power supply and a 110-volt alternating current supply. While the integration of the power inverter along with the 12-volt battery inside the impact resistant casing has the advantage of providing a portable electrical power source that provides both AC and DC electrical energy, it is a disadvantage that the power inverter cannot be separated from the jump start system and used independently. For example, it would be desirable if the inverter of the portable jump start system could be plugged into the cigarette lighter socket of an automobile to produce alternating current off the automobile battery.